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Category: Off-road
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Aishwarya Pissay secures third Bajas World Cup medal
Dubai, December 2, 2024: Ace Indian rider Aishwarya Pissay, a proud product of TVS Racing, has once again made history by securing third place in the 2024 FIM Bajas World Cup. The season concluded with the grueling Dubai International Baja, the eighth and final round of the championship, on Sunday.
Aishwarya Pissay receiving the honours after winning her third World Championship medal in Dubai on Sunday night. INDIAinF1 photo by special arrangement Competing in the 450cc and Ladies’ classes, the Bengaluru rider faced technical challenges, including navigation system issues during the final round which kept her out of the final classification. Despite these setbacks, her points from earlier rounds were enough to secure her a second runner-up spot on the Bajas World Cup leaderboard, reinforcing her status as a pioneer in Indian motorsport.
Reflecting on her achievement, Aishwarya said: “This rally was a true test of resilience. Unfortunately, technical issues with the navigation system on both days kept me out of the general classification, but every challenge brings a valuable lesson. Rally life often throws the unexpected at you, and this experience has only fueled my determination to come back stronger. Despite the setbacks, I’m immensely proud to have secured 3rd place in the World Championship for India. This marks my third World Championship podium in the history of the sport, and I’m deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my team, fans, and everyone who continues to believe in me.”
Aishwarya Pissay, the 7-time National Champion in action at Dubai Baja. Aishwarya, who became the first-ever Indian to win a World Championship in motorsport with her 2019 Bajas World Cup victory, now holds three World Cup medals, a record-breaking feat in 2W motorsport. Her journey continues to inspire as she remains a trailblazer, achieving consistent success on the world stage.
Her remarkable efforts have been supported by TVS Racing, as well as co-sponsors IIFL, Micro Labs, and Surana College.
Aishwarya Pissay, a proud product of TVS Racing About Aishwarya Pissay
Aishwarya Pissay, a 29-year-old motorsports icon from Bengaluru, is a pioneer in Indian two-wheeler racing. She has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the 2017 FMSCI’s Outstanding Woman in Motorsports Award. With a career marked by grit, perseverance, and historic achievements, Aishwarya continues to break barriers and pave the way for future generations in motorsport.
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TVS Racing’s Rajendra wins maiden Dakshin Dare crown
Chitradurga (Karnataka), 17 Feb. 2022: TVS Racing factory rider Rajendra RE came out triumphant winning the Overall title in the Motorsport Inc 12th edition of the Dakshin Dare, a cross-country event under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci), which concluded here on Wednesday night.
The 35-year old warhorse, a multiple National champion, who began his rally-raid career winning the Group B class in thelonger version of the Dakshin Dare in 2017, won his maiden Overall title beating stiff competition astride a TVS Apache RTR 450FX and added one more trophy to the TVS Racing’s cabin. The Shivamogga-born rider who is also an Indian National Rally champion said: “I am very glad to win the Dakshin Dare title. Though it is a shortened version, the competition was high and I am happy that the organisers managed the event despite the pandemic. With the support from TVS Racing, I am looking forward to a fruitful 2022.”
Rajendra receiving the winners trophy from Chief Guest at Chitradurga on Wendesday. The popular cross-country rally which was restricted to two-wheelers this year saw good response of over 36 bikes despite the pandemic and the tough terrain proved that only 23 finished the course. With many National champions fighting for honours in different classes, the four-day event saw the riders traverse a distance of over 300 km of competitive off-road sections starting from Bengaluru Triple-S, a spectator special, and two loops of Selective Sections (SS) about 100-km each, around Chitradurga on Tuesday and Wednesday. The first day saw the riders take the country-side roads on the picturesque foothills, amidst the windmills near Hiriyur, while the flowing flat-out stretches near Challakere saw the top guns touching speeds of 146-kmph on Day 2.
Sarath Mohan of Asura Garage from Mallapuram came overall second astride a Husqvarna FE450 while another champion Yuva Kumar of Hero MotoSports had to be content with an overall third but he claimed the gold in his class, the Group B 166 to 260cc category. Rajendra also won the Group A upto 600cc class. Youngster Goutham topped the Group B upto 165 class while another veteran Aakash Aithal of Puttur won the Group B 261 to 400cc event.
Winners all – Dakshin Dare 2w concludes in Chitradurga on 16 Feb. 2022. Photo: AutoTrack Hero MotoSports stalwart Sathyaraj bagged the Group D upto 260cc section while Suhail Ahmed of Bengaluru, a former multiple Supercross National champ, clinched the heavyweight Bullet class on a Himalayan. Pinkesh Thakkar, an expert motocross champion, now riding a TVS NTorq, conquered the Scooter Class. Sachin D is the one of the big names who crashed on Day 1.
“Since we ran the Dare on public roads extra precaution was taken for Safety of the riders and all COVID protocols were in place. The riders enjoyed the flowing stages and I appreciate all the efforts of the Officials and the team who made sure that the event was a big success,” said Jaidas Menon, the Promoter. The Dakshin Dare for four-wheelers is being planned for August 2022.
Final Audited Results:
Overall: 1. Bike #1 Rajendra RE (TVS Racing, Bengaluru) (4 hours,19 minutes, 23.561 seconds); 2. #6 Sarath Mohan (Mallapuram), (4:30:51.777); 3. #37 Yuva Kumar (Hero MotoSports, Bengaluru) (4:35:36.889); 4. #10 Suhail Ahmed (Bengaluru) (4:44:49.415); 5. #11 Satyaraj (Hero MotoSports, Chennai) (4:45:30.605); 6. #29 Pavan BK (Bengaluru) (4:46:31.400); 7. #7 Sinan Francis (Kottayam) (4:46:50.773); 8. #5 Naresh VS (Bengaluru) (4:54:32.819); 9. #18 Aakash Aithal (Puttur, near Mangaluru) (4:55:12.360); 10. #4 Karthik (TVS Racing, Jaipur) (5:04:02.545).
1. Group A upto 600cc: 1. Rajendra RE (TVS Racing, Bengaluru) (4:19:23.561); 2. Sarath Mohan, (4:30:51.777); 3. Sinan Francis (Kottayam) (4:46:50.773).
2. Group B upto 165cc: 1. #2 Goutham (Bengaluru) (5:07:29.526); 2. #21 Jithu (Kottayam) (5:11:16.870); 3. #28 Manmeet Singh (Kolkata) (5:42:06.189).
3. Group B 166 to 260cc: 1. Yuva Kumar (Hero MotoSports, Bengaluru) (4:35:36.889); 2. Karan Mohan (Bengaluru) (5:36:09.257); #25 Sachin D (Bengaluru) (TVS Racing) (DNF).
4. Group B 261 to 400cc: 1. Aakash Aithal (Mangalore) (4:55:12.360); 2. #22 Uday Ganguli (Kolkota) (5:21:16.408); 3. #26 Dwarith Manna (Kolkata) (5:41:18.873).
5. Group D: Upto 260cc: 1. Satyaraj (Hero MotoSports, Bengaluru) (4:45:30.605); 2. Pavan BK (Bengaluru) (4:46:31.400); 3. Karthik (TVS Racing, Bengaluru) (5:04:02.545).
6. Bullet Class: 1. Suhail Ahmed (Bengaluru) (4:44:49.415); 2. Naresh VS (Bengaluru) (4:54:32.819).
7. Group B Scooter Class: 1. #15 Pinkesh Thakkar (Pune) (TVS Racing) (5:30:10.195).
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Hampi becomes a hotbed of Motorsports activity in India
Bengaluru, 29 Sept. 2021: Motorsports Utsav de Hampi is a household name, thanks to the frenetic sports activity of high-degree in just three years after the birth of Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, that attracted top drivers and riders, and National events to the Heritage land, in and around Hampi. Whether it is the Special Stage rallying for four-wheelers or two-wheelers, Autocross or Motocross, time-tested TSD or the highly-competitive Indian National Rally Championship, all roads lead to Hampi, and even the endurance and adventure sports like 4×4 off-road challenge made the Club special, in the hearts of motorsports lovers. The heritage site and the pride of Karnataka, truly reflecting the slogan, One State, Many Worlds, is not just the only reason for fans and athletes to flock in, `Mecca of Motorsport’ MAV is.
MAV – The Motorsports Academy
Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, Hampi, is an FMSCI affiliated club started in 2019 by a group of motorsport fanatics with an intention to bring high-performance motorsports athletes and top-rated National events to northern parts of Karnataka to a very well-known world heritage site. With a vision to take Indian motorsports arena to newer heights, the Academy lines up events and trainings throughout the year in different parts of the country and at home, which culminate into a grand annual Utsav de Hampi, a mega Motorsports Festival consisting of many formats of motorsport events. The Academy successfully bid for the FMSCI Indian National Autocross Championship for a period of 3 years, to add to its armoury, which already has a round of the Indian National Rally Championship for 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers after the successful 4w Candidates round in 2020 where multiple National champions like Musa Sherif, sparkled. He is the only active senior-most Navigator with nine national titles in the country.
Some of the marquee events of the club are National rallies and highly-challenging 4×4 off-road events, which extend the competitive spirit beyond the rally element, and the club cleverly incorporated motortainment and display of vintage cars that attracted tens of thousands of spectators, who thronged to the tracks to have a glimpse of the high-speed precision racing and stunning off-road action. The club has the knack to pack a visual punch and has cordial relations that cater to even minor needs of the sportspersons making it a truly-attractive event for fans, drivers, riders, officials and media. No wonder sponsors like MRF, JK Tyre, TVS, Karnataka Tourism, Department of Youth Empowerment & Sports, Red Bull, Ultramile Tyres, Brut Force and Royal Orchid Hotels lined up to associate themselves with a hot property called Utsav de Hampi.
A wheelie for you, come and enjoy motorsports, Hampi is calling… Santosh, left and Rohit, the brains behind MAV success. The Festival consists of many formats of motorsports, run on multiple weekends, with different disciplines like Stage Rally for 2-wheelers, 4-wheelers, Autocross, TSD Rally, some of which have National status and have attracted top Indian and International drivers and riders in the last three years. The Utsav found its ‘God Father’ in Parth Jindal of JSW Group, who provided the initial thrust, but it was local stalwarts like Santosh HM, Rohit Gowda and Darpan Gowda, who plunged in as the Club took off on its own with a team of dedicated volunteers, going into the last edition of the Festival in 2020 despite the COVID threats, as they managed to follow strict protocol and government’s SoP. With permissions relaxed for Sports events, the Utsav is back with a bang and has four events lined up for 2021 on the eve of Gandhi Jayanthi. The spirit of Gandhiji, the heritage of Hampi and the adrenalin of a National-level sports event, that is the cocktail of motorsports, that the Motorsports Academy offers and no fan can resist.
1. JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship – 1, 2, 3 October, 2021
The 2021 Utsav de Hampi, has become bigger with two National-level events and an even bigger Off-road extravaganza. First off, the Motorsports Academy starts with the JK Tyre fmsci Indian National Regularity Run Championship (INRRC), a popular TSD format which offers the ladder for a lay person to enter motorsports and enjoy the thrills. The event finals has the National status accorded to it by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI), the sole governing body of motorsports in India. The Time, Speed, Distance format with about 20 Time Controls (TC) is from October 1 to 3 and will be the South Zone qualifiers where the top-5 (top-3 for Women’s Cup) will take a shot to become the National Champ in three classes, team, driver and navigator. The Club offered free entries to Women in Motorsports (WIM), an FIA concept to encourage gender diversity and MAV has quickly embraced it providing Lady Freebies, and many gleefully entered the fray with Daughter-Mom Doctor pair of talented Shivani and Deepthi Pruthvi spearheading a bevy of women drivers.
2. The 4×4 Hampi off-road Challenge – 8 to 10 October 2021
The Hampi off-road challenge will see some of the finest professionally modified and stock four-wheel drive vehicles and the event, in the backwaters of the beautiful River Tungabhadra, is known to break man and machine, and is an ultimate challenge for expert drivers, who ably assisted by knowledgeable navigators, make the complex tasks look simple thus, delivering fun and frolic for fans that leads to a rich mix of motorsport madness.
In 2019, the introduction of 4×4 Hampi Off-road Challenge for Jeeps which are ripped-off, curated and tuned for one of the best off-road competitions in the country on par with international events, saw the beginning of a tradition. The record 42 entries in its very 1st edition, consisting of Professionally modified, Modified and Stock category vehicles showcased a plethora of talent and became an instant success. And the tradition of excellence goes on…
4×4 action that makes every fan skip a heart beat, land in Hampi, experience the thrills! 3. Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) – FMSCI to Confirm new dates
The popular Indian National Rally Championship is a flagship event of the Indian Federation which acquired its National status way back in 1988 and has thrown up veteran champs like Leelakrishnan, Naren Kumar, Hari Singh and Gaurav Gill. Considered in the top-3 showpiece events as one of the 12 Motorsports Nationals, it attracts a highly-talented youth and experienced veterans and the event requires high degree of organisational skills with a well-prepared terrain and tulip, as finding good tracks, tarmac or dirt, has become a gigantic task, of late for organising clubs, but not for MAV.
It conducted the Contender round successfully and is officially granted a round in the National Championship this year, which was put off due to the side effects of COVID19. The Federation and the Promoters are expected to announce the new dates any time now.
The 2020 INRC contender round Champions display their wares on the podium in Hampi. 4. MRF Mogrip FMSCI Indian National 2w Rally Championship (INRC-2w) – 16, 17 Oct 2021
The INRC for 2-wheelers is a popular sister-event of the four-wheeler Rally Nationals. Despite missing from the calendar for some years, Clubs like MAV have taken up the task to set the rally routes and organise the Nationals to the satisfaction of the riders and fans alike and the MRF Mogrip Calendar for 2w rallies is on track again. This year, the inaugural round of the MRF Mogrip FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship for motorcycles (INRC-2w) will be Rally de Hampi organised by MAV that is expected to witness national and international stars like Aishwarya Pissay, the Baja World Cup winner, Hero Yuva Kumar, a multiple National champion, and many other stars and National champoins like Nataraj of TVS, Vishwa, in other classes, fight for Overall honours on the tricky tracks of Hampi. The rally will have two special stages closed for regular traffic and include an 80.2-km liaison distance (non-competitive transport section) apart from the 62.5-km of closed to traffic competitive Stage distance for an overall 142.5-km rally. It is efficiently conducted by one of the best Clerks of the Course (CoC) Girijashankar Joshy, a former National rally champion himself, who has an impeccable record in knowledge of rules and the calm and cool nature in which he relays commands to a team of efficient Marshals and officials, in a pious “poojari” style of his own. It is the devotion required for Motorsports safety that separates him from also rans… as he breathes a whiff of fresh air into the motorsports culture.
Pack your helmet, belt-up and begin the journey into motorsports ecstasy, come to Hampi! A red carpet awaits!
For details: visit www.mavh.co.in, www.utsavdehampi.com
Follow & share Instagram: @MAVHAMPI @utsavdehampi
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Pragathi Gowda beats `big boys’ to bag fastest-driver tag
Bengaluru, 22 August 2021: Pragathi Gowda of Bengaluru claimed overall honours bagging the fastest driver tag powering her Volkswagen Polo to a stunning time of 2 min, 22.268 seconds over two-laps of the 1-km United Off-road track in the 2021 Time Attack organised by Chetan Shivram Motorsports, a two-day FMSCI-licensed event that concluded here on Sunday.
Ashwin Reddy, Abhin R Rai and Syed Salman bagged a double each in the professional class on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Moin Pasha, Sahil Khan and Asad Pasha also won their classes in the pro section. The event supported by Eco-Life, Anvitha Estates, DC Motorsports and Unite Motorsports received overwhelming response with 176 entries which were divided into professional and amateur sections. Trophies were provided by 6T9th.com and Starttline Motorsports manned the timing equipment that gave one by thousandth of a second times for every driver.
You can watch the Time Attack on Unite Motorsport YouTube here!
Beating many top male drivers in the 13-car start list of the feature event, the 2nd year MBA student who is just three caps in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), slided the corners and attacked the straights to top the time-sheets in Race 1 to beat Ashwin Reddy to second and Moin Pasha to third place. Pragathi eased off on Day 2 due to the slippery track where rookie Syed Salman, proved his mastery on the slushy terrain to beat Asad Pasha and star driver Dhruva Chandrasekhar who was not in his elements on the day due to technical issues with his car.
Pragathi Gowda, who bagged the Overall honours in the Chetan Shivram Motorsports Time Attack at Unite Off Park in Bengaluru on 21 August 2021. “It’s always a good feeling to improve times and Time Attack provided me the right stage as the terrain is very technical and it helped me sharpen my skills to be ready for the INRC. Beating the big boys is a bonus,” added the Bengalurean, who made pundits take notice with her speed in a rally-prep INRC3 spec, in her debut at Itanagar last December.
Jayanth Samynathan won Race 1 in the Rally Cars class beating Reddy brothers Ashwin and Tarun while in Race 2 on Sunday, Syed Salman took the honours with Ashwin Reddy taking a second again and Asad Pasha completing the podium.
Ruthuparna Vivek, Amrut Shekar and Mohammad Uzair won the Amateur races on Day 1 while Ruthuparna Vevek got a double gold on Day 2 in 1600cc and 2000cc even as Arvind won the 1400cc and Mohammed Shabaz bagged 1100cc class.
Naresh of Bro Racing won the Tuner class with veteran INRC tuner Yusuf of Snap Racing taking second and Amju of Ideal Racing came third.
“Since a lot of newcomers including first-timers are there. We wanted to provide a platform where they would not be fighting with the veterans which is very de-motivating. So we had separate class for modified cars driven by professionals,” explained Chetan Shivram, the Clerk of the Course. Shivram, the 2019 Indian National Rally Champion, is a top motorsports mentor training every month scores of rally drivers to excel and was recently roped in by the INRC Promoters to conduct a Driver school to train over two dozen lady drivers ready for INRC. “I thank Nikhil of Unite Off-track for preparing and providing the beautiful track,” added the man behind the show.
“We conducted the event in a bio-bubble following all the COVID protocols of the government as safety is always a top-priority in motorsports. With virtually no events for drivers to get their seat time, Time Attack is a great op for them to brush up their skills for the National rallies and gain some practice in a competitive environment,” said Sanjeev P Shah, the Chief Steward and Secretary of Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC).
Final (Provisional) Results:
Professional Race 1 (2 laps):
Pro United Off-road Open Class: 1. Pragathi Gowda (02 min, 22.268 seconds); 2. D Ashwin Reddy (02:23.665); 3. Moin Pasha (02:24.242).
Pro Upto 1100cc: 1. Moin Pasha (02:30.027);2. Abhisek Gowda (02:32.517); 3.Prakash R (02:34.459).
Pro Upto 1400cc: 1.Abhin R Rai (02:27.936); 2.Sahil (02:29.277); 3. Moin Pasha (02:29.516);
Pro Upto 1600cc: 1. D Ashwin Reddy (02:24.567); 2. D Tarun Reddy (02:25.160); 3. Sahil (02:26.295).
Pro Upto 2000cc: 1. D Ashwin Reddy(02:27.808);2. Dhruva Chandrasekhar (02:28.423); 3. Sahil (2:28.471).
Pro Rally-tuned cars: 1. Jayanth Samynathan (02:31.352);2. D Ashwin Reddy (02:32.004); 3. D Tarun Reddy (02:34.349).
Esteem: 1. Abhin R Rai (02:31.543); 2. Jayanth Samynathan (02:32.193); 3. Arvind (02:37.280).
Ladies Class: 1. Pragathi Gowda (02:40.718); 2. Tarushi Vikram (03:07.681).
Professional Race 2 (2 laps):
Pro United Off-road Open Class: 1. Syed Salman (02:37.315); 2. Asad Pasha (02:38.029); 3. Dhruva Chandrasekhar (02:38.803).
Rally-tuned Cars: 1. Syed Salman (02:34.858); 2. Ashwin Reddy (02:39.594); 3. Asad Pasha (02:39.947);
Race 2 (2 laps) Upto 1100cc: 1. Sahil Khan (02:30.521); 2. Mohan Raj (02:33.592);3. Mohin Pasha (02:34.171).
Race 2 (2 laps) Upto 1400cc: 1. Asad Pasha (2:29.207); 2. Mohin Pasha (02:30.336); 3. Sahil (02:30.852).
Esteem Class: 1. Abin R Rai (02:38.745); 2. Jayanth Samynathan (02:41.746); 3. Mohan (02:50.228).
Ladies Class: 1. Pragathi Gowda (02:40.567); 2. Tarushi Vikram (03:20.593);
Pro Tuner Class: 1. Naresh (Bro Racing) 2: 53.780; 2. Yusuf (Snap Racing) 2:55.513; ; 3. Amju (Ideal Racing) 2:57.946.
Diesel: 1. Dheeraj Manae (03:12.696); 2. Kiran (03:18.420).
Gypsy: 1. Ravi Kumar (02:54.534).
Amateur Race 1 (2 laps):
Upto 1100cc: 1. Mohammad Uzair (2:37.150); 2. Mohammed Kaisan (02:38.687); 3. Syed Imran (02:41.670).
Upto 1400cc: 1. Amrut Shekar (02:37.446); 2. Yuvaraj M (02:43.020); 3. Humayun Pasha (02:44.342).
Upto 1600cc: 1. Ruthuparna Vivek (02:35.347); 2. TS Rekha Niranjan (02:59.701); 3. Rituraj Das (03:01.861).
Ladies Class: 1. TS Rekha Niranjan (02:52.6551); 2. Tarushi Vikram (02:56.566).
Amateur Race 2 (2 laps):
Upto 1100cc: 1. Mohammad Shabaz (2:43.579); 2. Manu (02:52.338); 3. Syed Imran (02:52.358).
Upto 1400cc: 1. Arvind (02:38.155); 2. Amrith (02:44.359); 3. Yuvaraj (02:48.107).
Upto 1600cc: 1. Ruthuparna Vivek (02:37.782); 2. Nidhi (02:53.035); 3. Agasthya (02:58.240).
Upto 2000cc: 1. Ruthuparna Vivek (02:35.654); 2. Arvind (02:36.205); 3. Nidhi (02:40.946).
Ladies Class: 1. Tarushi Vikram (03:05.334); 2. Rekha Niranjan (03:13.305).
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CS Santosh makes a rare appearance at Big Rock Dirt Park at Kolar
Kolar, 19 March 2021: Ace Indian cross country rider and accomplished supercross champion CS Santosh, made a comeback to a public event, after more than two months, following his serious crash at Dakar 2021, and subsequent hospitalisation.
A strong fighter who has seen many obstabcles in his racing life, Santosh, made another comeback from a serious brain injury, and was seen at a Public event for the first time at his own Big Rock Dirt Park supercross track at Kolar, accompanied by his parents. The Hero rider, though, has been visiting the Kolar facility for the last couple of weeks with his parents.
Taking part in his 7th Dakar, Santosh suffered a heavy crash in Stage 4 and was airlifted to a Riyadh hospital on Jan 6. A few days later, he was induced into medical coma and brought back to India. After getting treated in the ICU of a private hospital for many days, he then did his rehab at home and was said to have lost memory of how the accident happened.
He again started talking and walking and is slowing getting back to do his fitness regime under controlled and very light conditions. Today, he was able to recognise people a bit but not like earlier, one of the participants said.
On March 16, in an exclusive scoop, ESPN reporter Susan Ninan, quoted his father Shivshankar saying: “He still doesn’t recall the accident but through our conversations, he’s slowly grown to accept that it did take place. Now he asks questions like, ‘oh wow, that’s crazy, how did it happen?”
Red Bull tweeted today about the Hero’s comeback!
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Aishwarya Pissay excited as she prepares for Jordan Baja
Aqaba (Jordan), 17 March 2021: Indian star cross-country rally rider Aishwarya Pissay will take part in the FIM Bajas World Cup Round 2 that is being run along with the Jordan Baja which gets underway in Aqaba on Thursday evening. That will see Jordan Motorsport host its first international motor sporting event since September 2019.
TVS Racing-backed Aishwarya Pissay, who bagged a second place in her class in Round 1, had settled for a third place in the Ladies section at Dubai. With the regulations pooling all classes together for WC rankings, Aishwarya will get points only for her third place in the Ladies Class. However, this year, the riders have the liberty to chose the best two rounds they have taken part in the year’s 10 rounds, to qualify for the final round. The Bengaluru-based Aishwarya stayed back in Dubai for training for the Jordan Baja, after her podium finish at the opening World Cup round, the Dubai Baja.
Two female riders will line up against 13 male rivals in the motorcycle category: India’s Aishwarya Pissay and Kuwait’s Sarah Khuraibet will duel for FIM Women’s category glory on their respective Huqsvarna and Yamaha.
Bangalore-based Pissay, 25, hopes to challenge for the title in 2021 and retain her 2019 crown. The Bengaluru rider was the first Indian athlete to win a world title on a motorcycle, the FIM Bajas Women’s Championship 2019, and has already secured seven combined national titles in circuit racing and rallying. Her last National title, the 2w Indian National Rally Championship came on Jan 31, at Hampi last month.
“I’m excited about the second round of the FIM World Baja Rally Cup,” said TVS Racing-backed Pissay. “This will be my first time racing in Jordan. I’m going in with a positive mindset and hoping for a good finish without any technical difficulties.”
Three Jordanian riders will be hoping to challenge their international rivals for success in this weekend’s Jordan Baja, the new second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup.
Talented young rider Abdullah Abu Aisheh is seeded at two behind Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed Al-Balooshi and has a superb chance of giving the Hashemite Kingdom a second outright victory in the Baja: Ata Al-Hmoud won the inaugural event on a Beta 390 when it ran as a candidate round for the FIA series in 2018.
Abu Aisheh is the national champion and trained in Dubai with Al-Balooshi before taking part in some desert races. He won the MX2 class in the Dubai Endurocross Championship and finished fourth overall in last month’s Dubai International Baja.
“I’m very excited to race the second round of the FIM Bajas World Cup in my home country,” said Abu Aishah. “The terrain is fantastic and the route should be fast. Wadi Rum is one of the highly known tourist attractions in Jordan and what makes it a great setting for the Baja is the diverse and dynamic terrain.
“It changes very quickly from sand to rocky sections to dunes. It makes the Baja a fast and technical route. What makes it even better is the breathtaking landscape, so we get to race and enjoy a great view. I will participate with my KTM Rally Replica and I’m aiming for the win. It should be a very challenging race, but I’m confident in my abilities to achieve the result I have in mind. I look forward to it!”
Zaid Jaber and Tal’at Al-Shishane also ride a pair of KTMs and represent the host nation. Twenty-one-year-old Jaber is taking part in his first Baja. He started riding motorcycles when he was only five under the influence of his father Ammar.
“I started riding professionally a year ago,” said Jaber. “My goal is the 2024 or 2025 Dakar. I came here for training with Mohammed Al-Balooshi. I wanted to race in the first round of the World Cup, but I dislocated my shoulder during training for the Dubai Baja. I watched the race in the Al-Qudra desert and learned a lot. I realised that the time is important, but the rules are even more important and if you don’t do any mistakes you have a big chance to win. I’m still in recovery, but was back to riding one week ago.”
Two Jordanian crews are also aiming for the podium in a National Baja that runs behind the main event and includes a shorter second day’s action in the deserts to the north of Aqaba. Haitham and Saif Al-Abbadi and Ghaith Qubti and Moath Al-Arja have entered a pair of T2 Range Rovers and will compete against three Palestinian crews and competitors from Saudi Arabia.
Dania Akeel finished eighth in her rallying debut at the Sharqiyah International Baja two weeks ago and the Saudi girl will be tackling her first event outside Saudi Arabia with French navigator Stéphane Duplé.
Akeel is part of the new SHERO Rally Team by Duust and has entered the event in a Can-Am Maverick X3 in the FIA T3 section. She had been looking forward to competing against fellow Saudi female Mashael Al-Obaidan, but her Jordanian navigator Musa Djierian confirmed on Monday morning that unseen issues had forced them to withdraw their Can-Am entry.
Akeel will now compete in T3 against fellow Saudi driver Ibrahim Bin Salamah and his co-driver Adel Al-Muhaia.
Restrictions on travel have forced the Argentine duo of Orlando Terranova and Franco Caimi to withdraw their entry. Terranova competed in Jordan in 2019 and finished second overall in his quest for FIA Baja Drivers’ Championship honours. The Mendoza driver lists the Jordan Baja as one of his favourite events and vows to return next year to tackle the unique desert stages in Wadi Rum.
The Jordan Baja gets underway with a ceremonial start in Aqaba from 19.39hrs on Thursday evening.
Competitors will then tackle two challenging sections of 210.72km and 112.9km on Friday, March 19th and a further 236.06km through the deserts to the north of Aqaba on Saturday, March 20th.
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Jordan Baja: FIA T4 category opens door for golden future
Aqaba (Jordan), 17 March 2021: The Jordan Baja gets underway in Aqaba on Thursday evening and sees Jordan Motorsport hosting its first international motor sporting event since September 2019.
Competitors from 15 nations will take part in the fourth round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas, round two of the FIM Bajas World Cup and a National Baja running behind the two international status events.
The FIA T4 category for modified production cross-country side-by-side (SxS) vehicles is one of the fastest growing categories in off-road rallying and five of the world’s leading protagonists in the category will line-up at the start of the Jordan Baja.
Cars such as the Can-Am Maverick X3, Polaris RZR 1000 and the Yamaha YXZ 1000 R have given newcomers and more experienced drivers the perfect introduction to one of the most challenging forms of all-terrain motor sport.
Events such as the Dakar Rally now offer two different SSV categories and the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas has its own championships for T4 drivers and teams.
Frenchman Claude Fournier has taken part in the opening three rounds of the 2021 Baja series in Russia, Dubai and Saudi Arabia and arrives in Aqaba with a 19.5-point advantage over Saudi Arabia’s Saleh Al-Saif in the standings. He first took part in the Dakar Rally back in 1991 and won the rookie category.
Fournier was victorious on the opening round and third and fourth places in the two Middle East events have given the Can-Am driver a solid foundation on which to build his title challenge with Polish co-driver Szymon Gospodarczyk.
“This is my first time in Jordan, as it was cancelled last year,” said Fournier, who has now retired from the family wine business that used to sell 2.5 million bottles per year. “I am told it is a very difficult challenge, particularly for the navigators, and it is also one where there is a lot of punctures due to rocks.
“I have also been told by everyone that it is a very beautiful event, so I am really looking forward to seeing Wadi Rum. I am not expecting many dunes.
“Of course, I hope to win, but I know it will be tough as the other drivers are very good. I am one of the oldest guys competing, at 69, but I am feeling fit and strong. I hope I can do well here to help me win the World Championship and also to set me up well for the five European events coming up next.”
Al-Saif is, perhaps, the favourite on the T4 starting list in Aqaba after claiming maximum points at the recent round in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Technical issues meant that he could only collect points for fifth place in Dubai, but he delivered a terrific performance two weeks ago to finish third overall and first in T4.
Al-Saif said: “Jordan Baja means a lot to me, as I performed well in the candidate version and won the T3 title. I love the Rum Desert. It resembles some regions of Saudi Arabia, such as Al-Ula and Tabuk, so I feel a familiarity with it and I also love this kind of terrain – sandy, rocky and wadis.
“I got used to the Jordan Baja after two previous versions. My eyes are now on the category title. My position is strong after winning Al-Sharqiyah Baja and advancing to second place in the T3 standings. My chances are strong in this rally. Our most prominent competitor will be Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah. He is a big name and I am happy that he is one of the participants in Jordan, as it will increase the pace and the competition. I am trying to participate in all rounds and I hope to win the title before the season ends.”
Meshari Al-Thefiri has been a regular visitor to Jordan to take part in the Dead Sea-based special stage round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship and has a perfect opportunity to overhaul Al-Saif and put the pressure on Fournier in the title race.
The Kuwaiti will be taking part in the Jordan Baja for the first time at the wheel of the second of five South Racing-built Can-Ams on the entry list. He has already claimed a pair of second places on rounds two and three of the Baja series and teams up with Qatar’s Nasser Al-Kuwari for the second time this season.
“This is the fourth round of the Baja Championship and we are third overall and half a point behind Saleh Al-Saif,” said Al-Thefiri. “Our programme is to compete in all the rounds, finish the championship and try and be champions in T4.
“I decided to do this championship because three rounds are in the Middle East, so I want to make the maximum out of it. This is also a plus for the drivers in the region to be able to take part in this championship. I am part of a strong team at South Racing and have been amazed at the level of professionalism, regarding the set-up, and the organisation. The car is bullet-proof and comes close to the factory cars in terms of performance and specification.”
Pavel Lebedev, Saeed Al-Mouri and Laia Sanz have already scored points this season in T4 but none are present in Jordan. That leaves the door firmly open for Qatar’s Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah to challenge for a podium finish.
The brother of the illustrious Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah – a three-time Dakar Rally winner and 13-time Jordan Rally winner – has already finished ninth overall in the T4 section at the Dakar this year and secured victory at the second of the Ha’il Bajas last December. The Doha-based driver will be partnered by the experienced Frenchman Xavier Panseri for the first time.
UAE-based Thomas Bell runs the car preparations company Sabertooth Motoring Adventure out of Autodrome Motor City in Dubai. He drives the fifth of the Can-Ams in Jordan alongside Spanish navigator Armand Monleón, the latter being a successful rally rider in his own right and the former winner of the China Grand Rally on a KTM.
The duo tackled the recent Sharqiyah International Baja and set some competitive times before their T4 challenge came to an abrupt end on a treacherously muddy section of terrain near the coast.
On Thursday, competitors will carry out their pre-event scrutineering and administration checks from 9 am, after strict Covid-19 testing protocols were applied before individuals could gain access to the service park and rally headquarters.
Several of the top drivers and riders will then meet the media at the pre-event press conference on the Aqaba start podium from 6.25 pm local time, before the event gets underway from 7.39 pm on Thursday evening.
Competitors will then tackle two challenging sections of 210.72 km and 112.9 km on Friday and a further 236.06 km through the deserts to the north of Aqaba on Saturday.
FIA T4 Championship – standings after round 3:
1. Claude Fournier (FRA) 57.5pts
2. Saleh Al-Saif (SAU) 38pts
3. Meshari Al-Thefiri (KWT) 37.5 pts
4. Pavel Lebedev (RAF) 27 pts
5. Saeed Al-Mouri (SAU) 15.5 pts
6. Laia Sanz (ESP) 13 pts
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Red Bull Ace of Dirt event, a first in India: Red Bull athlete CS Santosh on show at Kolar
Red Bull athlete CS Santosh at the press conference in Bengaluru Wednesday. An INDIAinF1 image Bengaluru, 13 Nov 2019: Red Bull Ace of Dirt, a first of its kind race comes to India where different off-road disciplines come together to compete in an elimination format to be the last man standing. The city of Bengaluru will witness a never-seen-before bike race on November 14th at the Big Rock Dirtpark, a one of its kind, self-designed track by Red Bull Athlete CS Santosh. The winner of Red Bull Ace of Dirt will get a once in a lifetime opportunity to train with ace motorcyclist and Red Bull athlete, CS Santosh
32 selected riders will battle each other on a specially laid course which consists of Motocross, Dirt track and Enduro sections all put together to offer a unique challenge to make it to the final top 4 to compete for the win! But they must make it through the semi-finals round that will offer a unique challenge where all will compete on identical Hero Xpulse bikes which will eliminate any advantage or disadvantage their own machines would have had!
Commenting on the event, Red Bull athlete CS Santosh said, “I am excited to have this opportunity with energy drink giant Red Bull to dream up this event with this unique concept here in India on a new format of racing that we have not previously had. We are also delighted to have Hero MotoSports join hands for this event as part of their vision to promote Motor Sports and Off-Road biking culture in India. All these major partners coming together to offer a complete ecosystem for the event, is a great support to the event and motor sports in the country. Ultimately, this format will allow all different types of riders to compete together and develop good overall skills that will one day be a platform to transition into cross country rally racing and on day to the Dakar!
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Fernando Alonso achieves first-ever rally raid podium with Toyota Gazoo Racing
Fernando Alonso prepares well for the Dakar debut. Toyota Gazoo Racing images Al Ula Neom (Saudi Aradia), 10 Nov 2019: Fernando Alonso achieved his first-ever rally raid podium with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing after a solid performance at the 2019 Al Ula-Neom Cross-Country Rally in Saudi Arabia on November 5-9. In just their third rally raid competition together, Fernando and navigator, Marc Coma, took home the third-place trophy for the first time since the Spanish duo started their preparations towards the 2020 Dakar Rally just over two months ago.
The first two of four stages took place near the north-western city of Al Ula which featured two loops of approximately 220 kilometres each day on mixed terrain of open desert, sand and stone strewn sections, and rocky paths. For Fernando and Marc, this event represented a new challenge of competing on unfamiliar terrain against a field of local rally raid specialists.
Nevertheless, the Spanish duo brought their brand-new Toyota Hilux home in fourth place after the first stage after negotiating through the dust kicked up by frontrunners, trailing the leader by just 7min 24sec. As their Hilux had only 20 kilometres on the clock when they arrived in Saudi Arabia, Fernando and Marc elected to take a zero risk approach during the opening stage.
After a largely clean run on a route similar to that of the previous day and as Fernando and Marc pushed to reduce the overall gap, they picked up a puncture towards the closing part of the stage which was made up of rocky paths. The pair lost approximately 2min 30sec to replace the flat tyre, which resulted in an additional 7min 35sec deficit to the leader while maintaining a solid fourth place overall.
The final two stages of the event took place near the new city of Neom, on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea, approximately 460 kilometres north-west of Al Ula. This new and unfamiliar terrain and conditions included areas of tricky navigation which pushed competitors to their limits.
Despite the challenges, Fernando and Marc showed strong pace over the course of the penultimate stage to bring their Hilux back home third-fastest overall and losing just 17 seconds to the leader after some 180 kilometres of racing.
Fernanco Alonso and navigator Marc Coma, in only their third Rally Raid together earn a third place for Toyota Gazoo. The Spanish duo started the final day in third place overall following a late retirement overnight and securing the final podium spot with consistent pace throughout the day despite some time loss due to inaccurate road books and tricky navigation. Their split times showed excellent speed, a clear indication that Fernando and Marc have already reached a highly competitive level in rally raid despite their relative lack of experience as they transition into new motorsport disciplines.
The 2019 Al Ula-Neom Cross-Country Rally is the last of three rally raid competitions for Fernando and Marc in their intensive training programme to prepare for the 2020 Dakar Rally. The Spanish pairing first entered, what turned out to be, an eventful Lichtenburg 400 in South Africa before tackling the formidable Rally of Morocco, persevering through a wide variety of challenges and learning invaluable lessons along the way. With under two months to go before the Dakar Rally, Fernando and Marc will continue private testing before joining their TOYOTA GAZOO Racing teammates in Saudi Arabia in January, 2020 for the Dakar Rally.
2019 Al Ula-Neom Cross-Country Rally Results:
1st #201 Yazeed Al Rajhi/Konstantin Zhiltsov (Toyota Hilux, Privateer), 6hrs 35min 52sec
3rd #205 Fernando Alonso/Marc Coma (Toyota Hilux, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing), 6hrs 52min 12sec (+16min 20sec)Glyn Hall, Team Principal: “Fernando and Marc showed great pace this week, and I’m happy that they are progressing according to our plan. We had a strategy for this race, and it worked out perfectly for them. They raced a brand-new car here, which is earmarked for the Dakar Rally, so they had to balance their pace with the need to preserve the car. In the end, they achieved a maiden podium against local crews who know the terrain very well, which bodes well for January’s Dakar Rally. It was also interesting for us to experience Saudi Arabia first-hand and gain some insight for the big race in the New Year.”
Fernando Alonso: “The final stage was a difficult one, full of rocks and difficult navigation. But we had no real issues, and we finished third on the stage and third overall, which is quite a good result for us. This is our first even podium in rally raid, and I’m very happy with that. Overall we had four good days in Saudi Arabia.”
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MOCA claims JK Tyre Orange 4×4 Fury
Dambuk (Arunachal Pradesh), 18 Dec 2018: The Manabhum Off-Roaders Club of Arunachal (MOCA) displayed strategic acumen and nerves of steel to claim the JK Tyre Orange 4X4 Fury title here on Tuesday.
Going into the fourth and final day, with just 5 points separating them and defending champions Gerrari Off-Roaders, the local favourites won the day’s first and played it safe in the second to post their biggest victory on the national stage.
The MOCA team, led by drivers Aditya Mei and Chow Ujjal Namshum and guided by co-drivers Chow Sujeewan Choutang and Chow Ingieng Mein, went all out in the Camp the River Stage to collect 100 points.
Their main challengers, the Gerrari Off-Roaders, finished third for 90 points but suffered a big blow when they were penalised 30 penalty points for breaking a bunting.
The team Chandigarh, powered by Gurmeet Singh (with Gurpratap Sandhu as navigator) and Kabir Waraich (with Yuvraj Singh Tiwana), gave it their best shot but that one mistake proved to be their undoing.
They won the final Dambuk River stage to collect 100 points but the battle had already been lost. They, however, had the consolation of winning the first runners-up trophy and Rs 1.5 lakh.
The deserving champions picked up the glittering winners’ trophy as well Rs 2.5 lakh for their efforts. The second runners-up team from Bangalore, BODA, were richer by Rs 1 lakh.
“We stuck to our overall strategy of avoiding penalty points at any cost,” MOCA’s Aditya Mei said, shortly after winning the title. “We worked well as a team which was perhaps easy because we are all from the same family,” he added.
The eldest cousin of the foursome, Chow Ujjal Namshum, conceded that they were tense on the eve of the final run but quite confident of doing something special. “Once we picked up a handy lead after the day’s first stage, we knew we had to do,” he said.
Incidentally, the winners who are planters by profession and took up the sport as a hobby, are all cousins. They began competing in 2012 just for fun before it became their calling in 2015. They now aim to participate in the Rain Forest Challenge.
Result: 1. MOCA (Aditya Mei & Chow Sujeewan Choutang and Chow Ujjal Namshum & Chow Ingieng Mein);2. Gerrari Off-Roaders (Gurmeet Singh & Gurpratap Sandhu and Kabir Waraich & Yuvraj Singh Tiwana); 3. BODA (Madhusudhan Reddy & ER Rohit and Sidhartha Santosh & Yanren Jamio).
